


At All Costs

by STARSdidathing



Series: The "You Belong With Me" Series [44]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Bring tissues, Compulsion, Devotion, Established Relationship, Feels, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love, M/M, Magic, Ouch, Partial Mind Control, Possible Character Death, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Thor: The Dark World, Unspecified Setting, Wordcount: 100-1.000, possible happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 19:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14677986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: The spell is simple. The compulsion is only applied for a single command. There is no one closer to Tony Stark than his lover and so Loki’s order is simple:kill him.





	At All Costs

**Author's Note:**

> When you're having a "blah" creativity day, it's the perfect time to skim through your drafts and write an idea from notes made in March this year. Then, because sharing is caring, I thought I'd post it for you all. Enjoy XP

The spell is simple. The compulsion is only applied for a single command. There is no one closer to Tony Stark than his lover and so Loki’s order is simple: _kill him._

Loki struggles against it with all his might; fights it tooth and nail and with more desperation than he ever used even when resisting Thanos and the mind gem; but the spell is strong and has a firm hold on him.

Loki teleports to the tower, teleports _home_ despite all his fervent attempts to stop it.

And Tony is _there_.

He turns around with a bright smile when he sees him. Tony walks over, stands close, cups his face and gives him a loving kiss in greeting.

“I thought you were still on Vanaheim,” he tells him.

And Loki feels his magic call for a dagger and he feels Tony’s confusion when it appears in his hand. He feels Tony touching his cheeks with calloused fingertips. “Loki? What’s wrong? Loki, you’re _crying_.”

Tony sounds concerned and Loki... Loki hears himself sob, feels his hand shake, but it still starts to rise, the compulsion forcing him to move even as he tries to stop it, even as he silently begs his lover to activate the tower defences, to realise something is wrong and to flee.

“FRIDAY?” Tony calls, a thread of genuine alarm in his voice – but the A.I. doesn’t respond, and Loki knows, suddenly and with horror that his magic has disabled her.

Tony realises too and he starts to back away from Loki even while he holds the mage’s gaze, never once turning to the knife. “Loki? Loki, can you hear me? Loki, you have to fight it. Whatever the hell is going on, you’ve got to break through this. You’re my badass boyfriend, you can do this.”

But even as he says the words, Loki can see the repressed panic in his gestures, the way he’s trying to call the armour to him. Loki is taking halting steps forward and he can’t stop it; he feels like his scratching his insides raw, feels like he’s attacking his own magic just trying to get a foothold and do _something_ that will stop him from hurting Tony.

His love, his other half, the one person in the entire world Loki knows he could never live without.

But he’s still stepping forward and when Tony tries to flee, Loki is moving too fast, grabbing him and slamming him against the wall. Tony is caught in his grasp and the knife is between their chests, shaking so hard in Loki’s grip that it’s a wonder he doesn’t cut one of them by accident.

Tony’s breathing is shallow and fearful, but his eyes are holding Loki’s own. 

“Loki,” he whispers, and instead of trying to defend himself, Tony cups Loki’s cheek. “You are stronger than anything someone can do to you. Fight it. _Fight it_.”

Loki’s whole body is trembling, his breath coming out in gasps. He tries to make himself let go of the knife, tries to do _something_ to stop this - but he feels the spell intensify, feels the compulsion to _kill_ so strong it almost whites out his vision.

And the knife is moving but he uses every ounce of strength inside himself to change its course, to do the one thing that could protect Tony.

Loki shifts the arc just enough to make it curve inward and the pain rips through him, as excruciating as the time he’d been impaled on the Dark Elf’s blade.

But it does what he needs, does what he _wants_ and it makes him collapse to his knees, gasping blood and struggling to breathe.

“Loki!?” Tony shouts, dropping to his knees as well and clutching Loki’s shoulders, his eyes wide as he panics, his gaze going between Loki’s face and the blade still sticking out of Loki’s chest.

“I’m sorry,” Loki gasps, the words hard to get out, but desperate to be said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He leans forward just enough to rest his forehead on his lover’s shoulder, to inhale the scent of him and feel his warmth one last time. “I love you. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise!” Tony hisses, his voice barely holding back his emotions or his terror. “Fucking get FRIDAY back online so I can get help and then heal you so we can kick the ass of whoever did this to you!”

Loki’s having trouble breathing and he knows he’s in trouble. He knows the spell’s fading only because _he’s_ fading, but Tony’s warm and safe. Tony’s _alive_ , and if he’s done one thing right it’s making sure of that.

“Old enemy,” Loki gasps out, “ask Thor, how met Hogun.” He wets his lips and tastes blood. He wishes he could raise his arms and hold Tony again. Wishes for so many things. He closes his eyes instead and fights unconsciousness to say one more thing. “Best thing in my life. C-Can’t lose you. Love you.”

“ _Loki_ ,” Tony’s shaking as he clutches him. “God damn it, Loki. Don’t you fucking dare die on me. Stay awake, _please_ , Loki.”

Loki wishes he could, wishes he could give his love everything he wants and deserves, but consciousness slides from him and all Loki can do is hold tight in his mind to the feeling of his love against him before he let the darkness take him.

**Author's Note:**

> ... did I really do that? Yes, yes I did.
> 
> Does Loki die? Weeeeeell. That's up for you to decide. I may have a headcanon on what the future holds but I FELT LIKE SHARING THE ANGST, OKAY.
> 
> And maaaaybe I might have a short happy ending sequel up my sleeve where he doesn't die. _Maybe_. But, you know, that depends on if you'd want to see it posted or not ;P ~~Am I a cruel, harsh mistress? Well, maybe XD~~
> 
>  **NOTE:** If you want to stay with this open-ended, Loki does in fact die version of events, please ignore the following link.
> 
> If you _do_ want a happy ending sequel you can go [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14686470) or go to part 45 of this series for "Prices Worth Paying" and enjoy your fluff :D


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